THE grieving mother of murdered schoolboy Jessie James pleaded with his killers to turn themselves in as she buried her son yesterday.

Barbara Reid, 47, told 2,000 mourners that those shielding the gunman were just as guilty as the man who pulled the trigger.

"Jessie's blood is on the hands of the murderer, his accomplices, their families and their friends who say nothing and do nothing," she said.

"You are all equally guilty of this brutal crime. The murderer must be brought to justice."

Jessie, 15, was shot dead as he cycled home from a party through a park in Manchester's tough Moss Side area last month.

Speaking just yards from the spot where he died, Barbara told 1,500 mourners packed into a marquee and hundreds more outside it was time to reclaim the streets.

To cries of "Yes!", she went on: "I long to see the day when young and old people can walk the streets without fear and trembling.

"Then and only then will the transition of change take place in this community."

Jessie's body was brought to the service in a white carriage drawn by two white horses crowned with black plumes.

A piper played as the hearse entered Broadfield Park, where Jessie died on September 9, gunned down in a suspected case of mistaken identity.

It paused at a makeshift shrine next to a basketball court for Barbara and daughter Rosemary, 28, to look at bouquets and sympathy cards.

Jessie's body was then carried into the service by six friends wearing white sweatshirts with "Jessie" and a gold star on the front and his picture on the back.

School friends from Manchester Academy, their numbers swelled by the half-term holiday, wore black Tshirts and hooded tops emblazoned with "RIP Jessie". Barbara told the crowd: "I believe Jessie came into this world for a purpose.

"Sadly someone played God and took his life."

After the service dozens of black and white balloons were released as 15 friends on mountain bikes led the cortege two miles to Manchester Southern Cemetery for the burial.

Det Supt Tony Cook, of Greater Manchester police, who is leading the hunt for Jessie's killer said: "We need the community to pull together to help us catch his killers.

"Someone supplied the gun, someone heard the offenders talking.

"If you are covering for a murderer, ask how you'll feel when another young victim gets shot and killed.